The Connotations of Thug, the N-Word and Other Racial Slurs

Last week I came across an article arguing that the word "thug" is the new "n----r."

Could this be true? 

This Friday I also had the privilege of sitting in on a high school presentation of Dr. Neal Lester's "Straight Talk about the N-Word." During which, he talked about the connotations of the N-word throughout history, and why it is considered to be so offensive.

I learned that not only was it a word to express hate, but it was often just a commonplace word to describe African Americans. In early 20th Century pop culture, the n-word was usually paired with derogatory statements,  pictures, or lyrics. The n-word wasn't just something people randomly yelled when they wanted to hurt African Americans (although it was frequently used for that purpose as well). It was a word used to  demean and categorize a whole subgroup of people on a day-to-day basis. 

I had already read the article before I went to this presentation, and as I listened, I thought of the similarities between "thug" today and "n-----" in the past.

"Thug" is a word used far too often to describe African Americans. Every time we see a black victim of violence, the media is always trying to justify their attacks by trying to prove they are "thugs." And what exactly is a "thug?" What does one have to do to be considered a "thug?" The answer depends on who you ask, but to get a basic idea, I looked it up on Google images. Here's what came up:

Notice anything they all have in common?

These are the over exaggerated images that come to mind when somebody tries to imagine a thug. Like the n-word, "thug" is a word encompassing a negative connotation, perpetuating the mistreatment of African Americans that is used in a commonplace context. Because of this, I am entirely behind the idea that "thug" shares nearly identical implications with the n-word.

Is "thug" the new "n-----r?" It could be, it's used just as commonly to say something very similar, but that's just my opinion. What are your thoughts?